No, unless you have received a stop work order or termination of your award, you should not stop working on any sponsored awards. Continue to spend and provide all deliverables as required by the award.  Now is not the time to slow down work, or be late with any contractual requirement.  

In addition, please continue preparing and submitting proposals according to the published agency guidelines and deadlines.

If you receive a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive from an authorized official of a Sponsor — either a United States Government (USG) Sponsor or Pass-Through-Entity (PTE) — send it immediately by email to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) OSPA@UMBC.edu, Amy Steinly-Marks, Assistant Director of the Office of Contracts & Grants Accounting (OCGA) Cost Accounting and Analysis and Heather Alexander, Manager of OCGA, your unit administrative contact, your department chair and your dean. OSP will, with guidance from the Office of General Counsel, review the contents, determine its applicability, and provide guidance on how to proceed. 

Please note that some stop work orders, suspension notices, or equivalent communications are currently subject to federal injunction orders and may not be legally applicable, at this time.   

If you are provided guidance that your project is subject to a stop work order, suspension notice, or equivalent directive, no work beyond the date of stop work should be charged against the grant, even if enjoined by an injunction, until official notification lifting the order has been received from a sponsor authorized official or until you receive further clarification from OSP or OCGA. 

The cost of any work performed during the effective period of a stop work order or a suspension notice, even if included in an injunction, as noted above, may not be reimbursed by the Sponsor.    

Note: Only US Government Contract Officers, Agreement Officers, and PTE Authorized Organizational Representatives have binding contract authority. Communications and instructions from a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, or other USG or PTE technical or program office representative, are not binding.  

Unlike Stop Work Orders and Suspension Notices, which are temporary pauses to awards, Termination Notices are intended to enact a permanent status. The Code of Federal Regulations definition (2 CFR 1108.380) states: “Termination means the ending of an award or subaward, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the planned end of period of performance.” 

In the event a Termination Notice is received by a Principal Investigator (PI), they should take the following actions: 

Stop work on all activities and deliverables funded by the terminated award. Read the termination notice carefully.  We have observed notices with various requirements with unique timelines and requirements.  After the date of termination, expenses incurred for project activities or deliverables funded by the terminated award are not allowable and will not be reimbursed under most award regulations unless specific pre-approval has been provided by the Sponsor’s or Pass-through Entity’s authorized Contract or Grant Officer. Approvals from Technical Representatives and other program officers are not binding. 

Immediately share the Termination Notice (or equivalent directive) from the Sponsor or pass-through entity, with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) OSPA@UMBC.edu, Amy Steinly-Marks, Assistant Director of the Office of Contracts & Grants Accounting (OCGA) Cost Accounting and Analysis and Heather Alexander, Manager of OCGA, your unit administrative contact, your department chair and school dean.  OSP will assist in determining whether the Notice is compliant with regulations applicable to the specific award, and whether the Notice is a full termination or allows for partial continuation or re-scoping. If opportunity for appeal exists, decisions about making an appeal will be made in consultation with OSP, OCGA, and the Office of General Counsel. 

Promptly engage with your unit’s finance and grant administrators to determine, segregate, manage, and document allowable costs of termination. 

Review and follow the applicable regulations in your award agreement pertaining to close out and settlement under Termination, which may include technical reporting of work completed, asset disposition, Intellectual Property and Data ownership requirements, or disposition of any protocol or other compliance plans. 

OSP will notify the Office of Research Protections and Compliance (ORPC). ORPC will review any Protocol or other Compliance item and let you know the appropriate next steps.  

Guidance on non-cancellable obligations can be found here.

If you receive a request to revise the scope of your award –  either from a United States Government (USG) Sponsor or Pass-Through-Entity (PTE) — send it immediately by email to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) OSPA@UMBC.edu, Amy Steinly-Marks, Assistant Director of the Office of Contracts & Grants Accounting (OCGA) Cost Accounting and Analysis and Heather Alexander, Manager of OCGA, your unit administrative contact, your department chair and school dean.  OSP will, with guidance from the Office of General Counsel, review the contents, determine its applicability, and provide you with guidance on how to proceed.   

Revisions to the scope of an award will require documents to be generated in response to the scope revision.  This will include a revised technical scope of work, revised budget, and possibly other documents.  Your OSP manager will work with your unit administration on what documents are required. 

OSP and OCGA will provide guidance regarding what costs are allowable based on the specifics of the notice, and the award terms and conditions. As with any termination, stop work order, or award modification, the PI is ultimately responsible for any costs incurred beyond the date of termination, during a stop work, or outside the budget or scope of the award.  If the PI, Department, College or other UMBC unit agree to provide bridge funding beyond the date of termination or during a stop work, that agreement should be in writing, and clearly outline the specifics of that coverage (i.e. who and how much, source of funds, and time period). 

As you may be aware, some of the Executive Orders (EOs) are currently in litigation.  UMBC will take every opportunity to appeal any award notice after we assess potential legal reasons to do so. However, this should not be interpreted that just because UMBC has filed an appeal that the costs will be reimbursed by the Sponsor. Please see Q&A item above regarding ‘Who is responsible for covering any expenditures that the sponsor may not reimburse?’ 

The Council on Government Relations (COGR), the national authority on federal policies and regulations affecting US research institutions, has a dedicated web page providing up-to-date resources and information regarding the 2025 administrative actions impacting Research and Creative Achievement activities.  

No. Federal student financial assistance programs, such as grants and loans, have not been impacted by the executive orders or other federal actions.

As of March 26, 2025, the online IDR application is available again for borrowers to apply for Income-Based Repayment (IBR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans, along with the loan consolidation application. Borrowers should check studentaid.gov/idr for the latest updates on the availability of IDR plans and the online application.

UMBC has also partnered with Student Connections to support our student borrowers. You can talk to a Borrower Advocate for free at 866-311-9450.

The reduction in staff within the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office may lead to delays in processing FAFSA applications and distributing aid. UMBC will continue to provide financial aid offers as promptly as possible.  If you have questions regarding your financial aid award, please contact the UMBC Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Whether you are traveling to the U.S. or another country, it is imperative that you understand both entry and exit requirements for that country as well as any requirements for conducting your intended activities, such as study or research. Travelers are strongly advised to check with the embassy of the country to which they are traveling, or transiting through, prior to departure.

U.S. immigration law requires nonimmigrants and lawful permanent residents, 18 years of age and over, to carry evidence of their immigration status at all times. This is particularly important to note as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called on all state and local authorities to assist with enforcement of immigration laws.

Due to an increase in the number of visa applicants requiring in-person interviews, the introduction of enhanced vetting and screening as well as an ongoing federal hiring freeze, visa processing may take longer than travelers experienced in the past. Further complicating this matter is the fact that the U.S. Department of State has apparently ceased updating visa appointment wait times at various consular posts. Please note that, as a result, the Center for Global Engagement is not currently able to assist travelers with projecting U.S. visa processing times. 

Travelers needing to obtain a new visa or renew their current visa in order to reenter the U.S. should ensure they have an in-person visa interview appointment date confirmed, if required, prior to departing the U.S.

The Trump administration’s reintroduction of enhanced vetting and screening practices at U.S. consulates and ports of entry significantly increase the risk that international travelers may experience greater scrutiny of visa applications, prolonged visa processing times, and more intense questioning when seeking to enter the U.S.

Travelers should seek to identify and weigh the risks associated with international travel based on their personal circumstances. Failure to carry proper documentation, evidence of prior legal issues, including certain traffic violations, and prolonged stays outside of the U.S. may all result in issues for travel. If travelers have questions about their specific circumstances, then they should contact a qualified immigration attorney.

At U.S. ports of entry, such as international airports and border crossings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has broad authority to both search and seize travelers’ personal possessions, including electronic devices, without a warrant. Specifically, CBP may perform the following:

• interrogate any person seeking to enter the U.S. to determine their eligibility for admission;
• search the property of any person seeking to enter the U.S.; and
• copy data for further inspection.

While the above focuses on the U.S., other countries have similar authority that may even permit government officials to conduct warrantless searches far beyond the regular customs enforcement area.

Considering the sensitive nature of certain research and technologies as well as personal privacy concerns, travelers are advised to only take electronic devices and data required to perform their intended activities abroad. Additionally, travelers should understand what items are prohibited or restricted from entering the U.S. and any countries they may be visiting or transiting through. Please visit UMBC’s Office of Research Protections and Compliance’s Export Control and Travel Page for additional considerations and tips related to international travel and restrictions on transferring controlled items or technologies.

Many countries, including some of the most popular tourist destinations, have lèse-majesté laws prohibiting criticisms of the host country’s government. Violation of these laws can result in fines, detention, deportation, and denial of eligibility to visit the country in the future.

Given the rise of social media, a growing number of governments have also implemented fake news laws designed to address online manipulation and news the country’s government deems to be untrue. More recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has made it easier for governments to monitor social media postings and other online content.

While freedom of speech is a core value of the United States, travelers should be fully aware of how their participation in certain activities and expressions of speech may expose them to risks that could compromise their immigration status. According to Axios, more than 300 international students had their visas revoked during the first three weeks of the U.S. government’s new Catch and Revoke initiative, which uses AI to assist with the review of social media accounts.

The New York Times reported on an internal Trump administration memo indicating that certain countries could soon be subject to a revised travel ban. As reported, the proposed ban would include three tiers: Red, Orange, and Yellow.

• Countries in the “RED” category, which could face a full travel ban, may include: Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
• Countries in the “ORANGE” category, which could face higher scrutiny, may include: Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
• Countries in the “YELLOW” category, which would have 60 days to address concerns from the administration or risk being elevated to one of the two higher categories may include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Turkmenistan, and Vanuatu.

It is currently unknown when or if the new travel bans will be implemented. Still, there remains a very real risk that nationals of the listed countries who are outside the United States when the ban is announced may be unable to return, even with a valid visa stamp. It is also possible that additional countries could be included.

Individuals who do not hold U.S. citizenship and who are planning to travel abroad and reenter the U.S. must assess their personal risk tolerance for international travel given the possibility that they may be unable to reenter the U.S. as a result of a future travel ban. Moreover, such travelers should plan ahead for how they would be able to continue their studies or employment from outside of the U.S.

1. Ensure you carry valid immigration documents with you when you travel within the United States and abroad. It is also highly recommended that you make copies of these documents in the event they are ever damaged, lost, or stolen.

2. If you need to obtain a new visa prior to returning to the United States and require an in-person visa interview, do not make international travel plans until you have an in-person visa appointment confirmed.

3. Be prepared for questioning by CBP officers upon your return to the United States.

4. Understand that CBP officers may search your personal possessions without a warrant. This includes data, such as messages, files, and photos, stored on electronic devices as well as information you have shared on social media.

5. If upon arriving at a U.S. port of entry you are referred to secondary inspection (i.e., additional screening), remain calm and provide clear responses to the questions asked.

6. Assess your personal risk tolerance for possibly being unable to return to the U.S. in the event that travel restrictions are imposed and potentially change your travel plans if you feel that you may be at risk.

The International Travel Guide, published by Business Services, is designed to assist university travelers with planning university-sponsored international travel. It includes guidelines for obtaining pre-approval and submitting reimbursement requests.

The Office of International Students and Scholars is available to consult on immigration-related travel issues for individuals holding F-1, H-1B, and J-1 immigration status.

UMBC’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides employees with access to free confidential counseling and connections to attorneys who can help with a variety of issues, including immigration concerns.

UMBC’s International Travel Registry provides real-time, location specific security alerts to students, faculty, and staff traveling internationally on university business. Additionally, travelers registering their travel will be notified of how to enroll in UMBC’s comprehensive international travel insurance and assistance policy, which provides coverage for medical and non-medical issues that may arise during travel.

UMBC’s Office of Research Protections and Compliance provides detailed information related to export control and considerations for international travel.